


song stuck in my head

by haipollai



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Reunions, post-college
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-12 22:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3357002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haipollai/pseuds/haipollai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He reaches out and grabs Holster’s bicep, yanking him into a hug. He meant it to be bro hug, a heavy pat on the back before pulling away. Something to get over the unfamiliar awkwardness between them. Of course they weren’t going to have the immediate friendship they had before, not after being so far apart for so long.</p><p>He doesn’t expect the way Holster sags into him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	song stuck in my head

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheMoonByNight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMoonByNight/gifts).



> I hope its okay this became focused on Ransom/Holster with only background Jack/Bitty <333

Holster is at his front door. His smile tries for cocky but falls to close to nervous. "Hey Rans."

"What-" he swallows hard to figure out what to say. He knew Holster was going to be there. From the sound of it, Bitty had managed to convince most of the team to show up in Boston. It helped that Shitty had law school and Rans was in his residency there and Bitty and Jack lived in Providence. And Holster - Adam? - went to an AHL team on the other side of the country.

It hadn’t been Holster’s plans but Ransom had been with him when he’d made the decision. And somehow, he hasn’t said more than a few words to Holster in six months.

“Hey yourself. You made it.”

“Of course I made it, bro.” He takes a step into Ransom’s apartment. “Forgot to book a hotel. Do you-”

“Dude. You really gotta ask? I’m hurt.” He reaches out and grabs Holster’s bicep, yanking him into a hug. He meant it to be bro hug, a heavy pat on the back before pulling away. Something to get over the unfamiliar awkwardness between them. Of course they weren’t going to have the immediate friendship they had before, not after being so far apart for so long.

He doesn’t expect the way Holster sags into him. The sudden weight makes him stumble and they almost fall but he shifts his weight in time to keep them upright. Holster steps back with an amused smile. "Sorry, tired." He yawns for emphasis.

"Come on, you gotta help me set up the guest room." He starts down the hall but makes it two steps before he realizes that Holster isn't following. 

"I interrupted something." He's looking down at a pair of shoes that are too big to be Ransom's.

"Nah. He left two days ago." Ransom shifts nervously. He knows that Holster doesn't care who he dates and he's sure, at some point, he mentioned the guy over the past six months. It's different with Holster in his hallway looking at a stranger's shoes.

Holster looks up at him. "You ok?"

"I broke up with him."

There's a moment where Ransom doesn't know what to expect and then Holster pouts. "So no beating him up for your honor?"

"Don't you get into enough fights on the ice?" He reaches out and grabs Holster by the elbow to get him out of his entranceway.

"You watch my games?" 

Holster's arm slings easily around his waist even though walking side by side down his hallway makes it a bit of a tight fit. "Of course. When I can. Podunk teams don't exactly get ESPN airtime." The guest room is sparse. Most of the space is filled with Ransom's textbooks, including on the bed. "Shit I-" He hadn't really noticed how messy the room was.

"Wouldn't be the first time we had to share." His arm is still around Ransom's waist. Ransom can feel the solid weight of hard muscle.

Ransoms alarm goes off and he jumps. "Sorry, I have a graveyard shift. Had to get the next few days off."

"Yea. Sure. Of course." His arm drops away.

"Use my bed, Holster."

Holster's face scrunches up as if now that the option is being given to him he's not sure. "I can-"

"Bed." He takes one of Holster's arms and pulls him away from the guest room to Ransom's own room. There's not much to it except his bed and more books but at least the bed is made and useable. "Make yourself comfortable, I'll be back before you wake up."

He's not back before Holster wakes up. When he finally trudges in roughly twelve hours later, Holster is stretched out on his couch watching TV. Ransom starts towards his bedroom but at the last second changes his mind and sinks down on top of Holster's legs.

He expects to be kicked off but instead Holster hooks his hand around Ransom's shoulders and he falls asleep with his head resting on Holster's chest.

The only sign that time has passed when he wakes up is the change in light. The sun has passed from early morning gold to bright white. Holster is still there, his hand moving slowly up and down Ransom's back. He groans softly so Holster knows he's awake or waking up and maybe- Ransom doesn't know. 

The hand doesn't stop its slow up and down.

"I missed you, man," Holster says and when Ransom risks looking up, Holster is staring straight ahead at the TV. Ransom easily recognizes the Jack Zimmerman School of Dealing with Emotions. "A lot."

"Like Bitty would miss pie?" 

It startles a laugh out of Holster. "Worse maybe."

Ransom moves just enough to press his nose against Holster's neck. "That's a lot. Didn't know anyone could miss something that much."

“Rans,” his voice came out as a strangled whisper. “I didn’t forget to book a hotel room. I wanted to stay with you.”

“You’re going to leave again.” He starts pushing himself up, needing to cut this conversation off right now. Holster’s going to leave and they’ll lose this all over again.

“Hey man, Rans- Justin.” The use of his name stops him faster than anything else could. Holster is looking at him now. “What if I didn’t leave? I’m playing but it’s not the same without you. You’re my d-man.” He takes hold of Ransom’s shirt and tugs him back but Ransom doesn’t go as easily this time. He sits on his knees, looking down at Holster.

“What would you do?”

“I still got that economics degree. Been doing side work.” He leans back on the couch, looking up at him. “Didn’t I tell you that? How’d we stop talking, Rans?”

Ransom can’t do anything but shrug. He doesn’t know, doesn’t think there’s even an answer. “Missed you. Like Bitty would miss pie.”

Holster’s tongue darts out over his lips and Ransom leans down and kisses him. He braces himself on the arm of the couch, his fingers digging into the fabric. He waits for Holster to shove him away, to finally find the limit to their friendship but Holster kisses back.

“Reading my mind.” Holster’s arms wrap around him, warm and solid. It’s like before, when they were inseparable. The intention is different though.

“Fuck yes,” he grins against Holster’s lips and this time there’s no hesitance from either of them. "What about your contract?"

Holster always turned red easily and bruises lasted for ages. He had never bothered appreciating it before, especially when Holster worries his already red lower lip. "It's up at the end of this season."

Ransom narrows his eyes. "You sure?"

Holster yanks him back down for another kiss. "Wouldn't lie to you. Ever."

-

They’re the last two to arrive at dinner, arms pressed together. Ransom realizes belatedly he grabbed one of Holster’s shirts and Holster might be in one of his. No one says anything or asks any questions, even with the hickey visible on Holster’s neck, except Bitty’s eyes get huge. Ransom’s fine with no one else noticing yet.

At some point in the night, Holster disappears for a few minutes and looks slightly dazed when he reappears. "I think Bitty just lectured me on safe sex."

Ransom pats him on the leg. But Holster catches his hand and holds it.

"I don't wanna fuck this up." He leans into whisper just to Ransom, though no one else would probably notice over the sounds of the XBox.

"Jack has figured out dating. You’ll be fine."


End file.
